Coulee Verte ( or Promenade Plantee) & Canal St. Martin

You will find all the information about the Coulée Verte (greenway) in the link below.

Note that it's Coulée with a L and not Couvée ("couvée" being the equivalent of "brood" in English)

https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-visit-in-paris/walks/articles/248008-the-greenway-of-paris-the-unusual-and-hidden-walk-from-bastille-to-vincennes

We’ve been to both and most recently did part of the Coulée Verte for the first time with our granddaughters. It was a great, fascinating walk from Bastille where we started. We went as far as a sign which said the end was 3.4K ahead. At that point we went down to the ground level and walked along the unique, one of a kind shops under the elevated walkway. BIG tip, don’t do this walk on a Sunday as all of the shops were closed. Our goal was the walk but had we known about the unique shops underneath we would definitely scheduled this walk for a different day.

We have stayed in the vicinity of the Canal St Martin in a friend’s apartment. To me the most interesting part of this walk is from about Republic to the corner where it starts to curve near Hôpital-Saint-Louis Garden Jardin. The left side of the canal has a few more shops and lots of cafes but it’s interesting criss crossing the bridges to explore both sides. We return to our starting point by retracing our steps to the Republic Metro or walk east a few blocks to Goncourt or Colonel Fabian.

We did the Coulee Verte 12 years ago from Bastille to Bois Vincennes. It is lovely and there are spots along the way that are on the ground or where you can exit to the ground.
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/promenade-plantee-turning-discarded-public-space-into-a-pleasant-place-for-parisians/
There is a similar walk way less developed on old tracks around the edges of Paris
https://worldinparis.com/walking-on-railroad-tracks-la-petite-ceinture-paris
we accessed it near the St. Ouen market but it pretty much circles the city and can be accessed anywhere. It gives you a glimpse into part of Paris you are not likely to see -- it is not a pretty developed park like the Promenade PLantee.

Canal St. Martin is a great place to go for apero in the evening. At some stretches there are picnic tables along the canal which are served by the adjacent cafes -- or you can find cafes across from the canal with outdoor seating where people gather in the evening. We often do this with French friends on Friday evening.

Thanks, everyone. I will try to remember to report back on my walking adventures at these 2 sites when I get home in October.

I was on the Promenade Plantée in mid July. The very end closest to Bastille was closed at that time. If that is still the case, just walk a little further until you reach the next set of stairs to go up onto the Promenade.

Bets, thanks so much for the warning. I would have been so disappointed thinking I would miss my walk.

On the Promenade Plantée, if you are OK with a slightly longer walk beyond the elevated section, you can make it all the way to the rue de Picpus exit and walk to Raimo, a delicious ice cream shop on Boulevard de Reuilly.
Daumesnil metro is nearby for the way back.

I have visited both. The Promenade Plantée was pretty, a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Canal Saint Martin was mostly a disappointment. In my opinion it was dirty and undeserving. My feeling is that the local business interests over-hyped the area for their own benefit, and far beyond its value as a tourist destination. In the general region, and much more interesting is the Père Lachaise cemetery.